Heater for melting bituminous material and for preventing flashing of vapors given off thereby



Jan. 31, 1950 P. WOLLNER A 2,496,113

HEATER ma MELTING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL AND FOR PREVENTING FLASHING OF VAPORS GIVEN OFF THEREBY Filed. Jum, 25, 1947 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f a if I ,4 a n 515 mmvroze, W401; M ia/ya? Jan. 31, 1.950 P WOLLNER 2,496,113

HEATER FOR MELTING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL AND FOR PREVENTING FLASHING 0F VAPORS GIVEN OFF THEREBY Filed June 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. P401 WfllL/VER P. WOLLNER 2,496, E3 4L'TING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL AND FOR PREVENTING FLASHING 0F VAPORS GIVEN OFF 'I'l-XEREBY HEATER FOR FiledJune 25., 194*? 3 Sh etS Sheet 3 J N V EN TOR. fiamx WW0; 4 NEW Patented Jan. 3111950 UiN'PTEDi; snares-.1; PM Ema eerie-s HEATER? FOR' MEUI-IN G BITUMINOUS MATE- EAND 'ZFGR FBREVENTING FFLASHINGQ RIA This. inventionmelatesnto aconstruetion for pres venting-.;fiashin-g.;.or igniting: of thenapors .ginen-c... 01f *byrbituminous material: d.uring.,me1ting there: a of ma meltingeheater'.

Bituminouszmaterialsnf theetype used I01: roadssurfacing;payingmofingeandwaterproofing give off l'wvaporss during;melting-thereofewhich -,collect. in .thesehamber above-then uppentsurface .of the materialsandi which frequentlydoecome ignitedor flash intowfiame :whensthe.. cover .of .the heater..\is 10 removed-nor dipping nut .the. moltenlmaterialtor for recharging stheaheaterswith additional. ..materiala The s-fiashing ,of ttheimapors .1 into. flame. produces an.-:explosionawhich-splashes; thel'molten material. .irom... the.'....heater :as well ..as. causing 4. tongues of fiaine to shoot 0utward1y"s o..as to ens... dangerrthe.workmemand.constitute.a fire hazard. to Jtheeworklbeing.-..done...;andtthe'cbuildings adjacent thereto... Sometimes. thelwapors condense i and.lescapemnder.thel-jcoizer of .the; heater .so as to rundown. the. side'ssthereofl. condition alsolconstitutes-a. menace and. a' fire. hazard. In". orderlto prevent...flashing..of theescaping .vapors from ..the material .whenthelsamelis being re ducedmo .a molten..condition...so as to lovercome1 5 the aforesaid dar'i'gersthpresent. invention .comprehends. .=a .metho'dJof 'continually passing through,thel..chamber.above the'i..materia1' and over the. upper. surface thereof, heated. non-come. bustibl Tgases' which-makeup and. .Carry .off; tlicl g explosive vapors and providea.blariketing=.gas.eouslayer .over the upper surface. of the-molten ma-.. teri-al' so..as .to exclude. fair. from the chamber. which iwhenlpresent provides oxygen to support combustion,..;..

Th' invention... a1so.:. ;compnehehds Na melting. heateiuhaving means forrdirectings. heated... non-i, combustibleieases over thenipper. surface. .of the material.beingimelteditherein in order to take .up andflremove the. explosive.v vapors given 40115. by: then. 0 material. and to .continuall ...discharge-.the non 1 combustible gases and the vapors carried there-n with. T

Another objector the invention/is to provide a heater of the. .indicatedecharacter in which then-i5 gases of combustion resu1-ting:from the burningrof the" fuel for liquefying the material in the heaterareflconductedever the uppersurface of the-man: terialandwbetween the upper. surface. thereof and the :cover of the.heaterewherebythe; said gases "0 of combustion serve to heat and-rassis-tdn'liquefying the material in .=therheatenas zwell :as scarry'e ingiofi the vapors-given eff by .themateriai;

The. invention @alsohas a for an :Jobj act-the pros .1 vision of a screen :through which... theeases :01 55 combustion pass on entering the chamber-above the-material in the-heatergtogether with down ward1y-directed'louvered openings throughwhich: the gases 'of t combustion .earev. discharged from; the heater vand. ..Which-:.prevent rain or moisture Hi 2 from. .enteringsthecchamber above the material all beingirnelted in theiheater. With...thel foregoing and. other objects. in View reference-is nowimade. to the. following..speei-.

.rficatiori and accompanying drawings in .whiehthe.

preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

Figilfll is a; top plarijviewof a melting .l ieateru' .constructed in accordance with. the'invention'- Fig? 2 is .a longitudinal sectional view takenuz approximately on line. 2- of Fig.1.

FigfB is 'a vertical transverse sectional View taken approximately on 1ine'..3"3 of Fig.2.

Fig.4 is a topplan view of a modified'formof melting heatenconstructed in accordance with theinventioni".

Fig. 5' is alongitudinalsectional-view taken ap proxim'atelyon line-5 a of Fight and' shownwith a burner for heating thesame'x- Fig. "6 is a transverse vertical sectional 'view takenapproximately on line Fi e-of Fig.5.

Referring-towns drawings "by' characters 'of' reference, the melting heater A illustratedein Figures to 3 thereof;onsists of container 9 having'an open top through which it is charged witli'the material to be heated and me1ted -and which 'isv closed by 'a" cover-i0 hingedly. connected -i I therewith bya hinge-:pintle H. The?cove1" $0 is of arcuate formation in fcrossf sectional. rconfiguiration so as toxprovidea chamber B above the. top'xof the rmaterialibeing'heated therein.

Locatedrwithinzthe container is .a rectangular-2i shaped receptacle...;l 2 depending. .;from: a cover panelA-B supportedmponthe upper edge. of the container at;0ne:.;end.:thereofiiWith.the wal1s...-of the..lreceptacle-;.disp.osede.in .vspacedr relation :to thesideiand .hottomwallsef theicontainene. Then 1: coveripanel fl is formed-with a.rectangular central npenings; 1'4 :through =.which :the. upper open topcpf .therecepta-cle. .protrudess; Secured .in ark-512$; opening.:..l 5 in .the.endwallz I 6 of the. receptacle. 5; I2 is a tubular flue ll whichnextendshorizontally; therefromeandiis connected-with a manifold t8 located:adjacentitthecdischarge end of the containen; :The: manifoldcw :extendstran-sversely: of :5. themontainer.wand-dis connected? at 1 eachwend' thereof with a return flue l9 which extendsij longitndinallynf thefiued :1 towardithezreceptaclei l2 and .terminateszin upwardly directed-:zendslih. The: said.-..iupwardlysextending: ends .ere zlociate oncpneeach 'sideeofcthesreceptaclerilz andcprg. tru'd'empwardlnthrough-iopeningsdI in the cove panel -I.-3 With-the-openupper-\-endsi ithereot-pro jectinginto return: ducts? =22 :fOIlllBd'rxOl'i :the cove panelris The1ireturni-ductss-az extendclongi. tudinaliy of ithexzcover panel and. hare-their-..j.: 01113161151114 eopeninge intomthe; .chamber-rrB abov the lmaterialinin the -.receptacle..:: The ducts 2 are provided withi screens-x23 11in covering: .rela

tion with the outlet 24 for preventing particles or lumps of the material fed into the container from entering the ducts. Secured to the return ducts 22 is a transversely extending panel 25 against which the top wall 26 of the cover engages when in closed relation with the inwardly directed peripheral flange 21 of the cover located outwardly thereof. Adjacent the opposite end of the cover the top wall 26 thereof is formed with a plurality of openings 28 having downwardly directed louvers 29.

The receptacle l2 forms an open well for receiving a burner C disposed in longitudinal alignment with the flue H and which burner is of the type adapted to project a flame longitudinally of the flue for heating and melting the material in the container 9. The burner C is connected with a fuel pipe G which extends upwardly through the receptacle !2 and laterally through a notch 39 in a cover 3! hinged at 32 to the top of the return ducts 22 to provide a closure for the receptacle ii. The cover 3! is also hinged at 33 intermediate its ends for swinging the same into open relation as shown in Fig. 2 for inserting the burner C in position in the receptacle 12 or removing the same therefrom and for permitting the entrance of air for suporting combustion by the burner.

The heated gases of combustion produced by the burner C. in heating and melting the material in the container are directed by the manifold l8 into the return flues l9. From the return flues IS the heated gases of combustion are directed into the return ducts 22 and then into the chamber B beneath the hinged cover I9 so that the same pass over the upper surface of the material in the container and form a blanket thereover which takes up the explosive vapors given off by the material being melted and discharges the same to the atmosphere through the openings 28 in the cover while at the same time the blanket of heated non-c ombustible gases passing over the material excludes the entrance of air to support combustion. gases prevents the dangerous flashing of the vapors given off by the material and eliminates the explosion which usually accompanies such flashing when the cover is opened for charging the container or removing the liquefied material therefrom. In addition thereto, the heated gases passing through the chamber B heat the upper surface of the material in the container to thereby assist in melting the same. This greatly reduces the time required for melting the material in the container so as to reduce the fuel consumption of the burner and increase the efiiciency of the heater.

The container 9 is provided with a spigot 34 through which the molten material may be discharged and the hinged cover IE] is provided with a handle 35 for facilitating opening and closing thereof.

In the form of the melting heater D illustrated in Figs 4 to 6 of the drawings, the material is heated and melted in a receptacle 36 arranged within an outer casing 31 in spaced relation to the bottom and side walls thereof. The receptacle 36 is open at the top and is formed with an outwardly directed flanged rim 38 which extends continuously along the upper edges of the side and end walls thereof. The rim 38 This blanket of I engages over and is secured to the upper flanged edges of the side walls 49 and end wall 4! of the casing for supporting the receptacle in depending relation within the casing.

The casing is provided with a top cover plate 42 which engages over the upper edges of the opposite side walls 45 thereof and over the edge of a top panel 43 located at the end of the easing so as to overlie and close the top of the receptacle at one end thereof. A hinged cover t4 extends from the cover plate 42 to the end wall 4| of the casing and is hingedly connected therewith by a hinge pintle 45. The hinged cover 44 is of arcuate formation in cross-sectional configuration so as to provide a chamer E above the top of the material in the receptacle.

The casing is formed with an opening 46 in the end wall 4'! thereof through which a flame is projected longitudinally of and beneath the receptacle 36 by a burner F secured to the casing by a bracket 48. A baffle 49 secured to the end wall 41 of the casing and to the opposite side walls 49 thereof below the receptacle 36, directs the flame .toward the end wall 4| of the casing. The heated gases of combustion produced by the flame circulate toward the end wall 41 of the casing between the side walls 40 thereof and the receptacle 36. The spacing of the receptacle from the end wall 4'! of the casing provides an upwardly directed flue 59. The flue 59 opens through the top panel 43 and into a return duct 5! secured to the top panel 43 which duct extends longitudinally over the cover plate 42 with the outlet end 52 thereof opening into the chamber E.

The return duct 5! is provided with a screen 53 incovering relation with the open end 52 thereof for preventing particles or lumps of the material fed into the receptacle from entering the duct. A panel 54 secured to the return duct 5| forms an end wall of the chamber E and is engaged by the hinged cover 44 when in closed position. Adjacent the opposite end the hinged cover 44 is provided with a plurality of openings 55 having downwardly directed louvers 56.

The heated gases of combustion produced by the burner F are directed by the return duct 5| into the chamber E and over the upper surface of the material in the receptacle 36 so as to form a blanket thereover which takes up the explosive vapors given off by the material and which is discharged therewith through the openings 55. The heated gases of combustion do not contain sufiicient air or oxygen to support combustion and function to exclude the entrance of air from the chamber F so as to prevent flashing or igniting of the vapors given off by the material being melted. The gases of combustion also serve to heat the top layer of' the material in the receptacle to thereby increase the efficiency of the heater.

A spigot 5'? extends through the casing 3'! and into the receptacle 3% fordra'wing oil the molten material and the hinged cover 44 is provided with a handle 58 for facilitating opening and closing thereof.

In both of the forms of the melting heaters A and D the burners C and F vaporize a liquid fuel and mix the same with air to provide a combustible mixture which when burned in the projected flame produces the heated gases of combustion which are non-combustible and readily take up the explosive vapors covering the upper surface of the material and given off during melting thereof.

The melting heater A illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings may also be provided with a closure 69 which is pivoted to the top wall '26 of the cover l9 above the openings 28 and 15 which closure is adapted to be swung into superimposed relation on the top wall 26 when the burner C is in operation and when the burner is shut off the closure 60 is adapted to be swung downwardly on its pivotal connection into covering or closing relation with the openings 28 to thereby close the same and prevent the escape of the heated non-combustible gases in the chamber B and the entrance of air into the chamber.

Similarly the melting heater D in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive of the drawings is provided with a closure 6| similar to the closure 68 in the previous form of the invention and which is adapted to close the openings 55 in the cover 44 when the burner F is shut off so as to retain the non-combustible gases in the chamber E and to prevent the entrance of air therein.

The melting heaters A and D thus described provide constructions for preventing flashing of the vapors given off by the bituminous material during melting thereof and by means of which the method of preventing flashing thereof is carried out. Hinged covers and discharge ducts like that disclosed in the drawings may be provided on existing melting heaters in order to convert the same into a construction adapted for carrying out the method.

The reduced heating time required in the foregoing method and the blanket of heated gases of combustion which has a specific gravity generally lower than the specific gravity of the fumes and vapors contained in the oils in the bituminous material functions to preserve the oils and other essential substances required for a durable bituminous coating.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heater for melting bituminous material, a container for receiving the material to be melted, a cover hinged to said container adapted to be opened for charging the container with the bituminous material and providing a chamber above the material in the container, a burner for producing a flame for heating and melting the material in the container, a flue having an outlet opening into the chamber and through which the heated gases of combustion produced by said flame are conveyed into said chamber and pass over the upper surface of the material therein for heating the same and for removing the vapors given on by said material, and said hinged cover having an opening through which the said gases of combustion together with the vapors taken up thereby are discharged and a closure hinged to said cover adapted to be swung into overlying relation with said opening for preventing the discharge of the vapors and gases of combustion.

2. In a heater for melting bituminous material, a container for receiving the material to be melted, a cover hinged to the top of said container adapted to be opened for charging the container with the bituminous material, a burner for producing a flame, means for confining said flame and the heated gases of combustion produced thereby for heating the material in said container, a flue for carrying off said heated gases of combustion, said flue opening into said container above the top of the material therein adjacent one end of said cover for directing a stream of said heated gases of combustion over the upper surface of the material therein for heating the same and for taking up the vapors given off by said material during heating and melting thereof, a screen secured over the open end of said flue for preventing particles of material entering said flue during charging of the container, a vertical panel secured to said flue adjacent the open end thereof adapted to be engaged by the cover when in closed relation and forming with said cover a chamber above the material being heated in the container, and said cover having an opening through which the said gases of combustion together with the vapors taken up thereby are discharged from the container.

3. In a heater for melting bituminous material, a container for receiving the material to be melted, a cover hinged to said container adapted to be opened for charging the container with the bituminous material and providing a chamber above the material in the container, a burner for producing a, flame for heating and melting the material in the container, a flue having an outlet opening into the chamber and through which the heated gases of combustion produced by said flame are conveyed into said chamber and pass over the upper surface of the material therein for heating the same and for removing the vapors given off by said material, said hinged cover having an opening located below the top thereof through which said gases of combustion together with the vapors taken up thereby are discharged and permitting of a layer of the gases of combustion accumulating at the top of the chamber, and a closure hinged to said cover adapted to be swung into overlying relation with said opening for preventing the discharge of the vapors and gases of combustion.

4. In a heater for melting bituminous material, a container for receiving the material to be melted and having an opening in the top for charging the same with the material, a cover for closing said charging opening, a burner for producing a flame, means for confining said flame and the heated gases of combustion produced. thereby for heating the material in said container, a flue for carrying off said heated gases of combustion, said flue opening into said container above the top of the material therein and adjacent one end of said charging opening for directing a stream of said heated gases of combustion over the upper surface of the material therein for heating the same and for taking up the vapors given off by said material during heating and melting thereof, a shield secured over the open end of said flue for preventing particles of material entering said flue during charging of the cover, and said cover having an opening through which the said gases of combustion together with the vapors taken up thereby are discharged from the container.

PAUL WOLLNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Humphrey Oct. 14, 1856 Bailey May 25, 1880 Shaffer June 24, 1919 Fellman Nov. 4, 1924 Armbrust June 16, 1925 Fitzgerald Jan. 8, 1929 Jung Nov. 25, 1941 Elze July 21, 1942 Number 

